Combined tongue and lace protector for shoes.



J. A. GOMES.

COMBINED TONGUE AND LACE PROTECTOR FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 23,1917.

Patented June 12, 1917.

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J. A. GOIVIES.

COMBINED TONGUE AND LACE PROTECTOR FOR SHOES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. Ian.

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WTT ED STATES PATENT @FFTTJE."

JOAQUIN ALFRED GOMES, OF SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED TONGUE AND LACE PROTECTOR FOR SHOES.

Application filed March 23, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOA UIN ALFRED (learns, a citizen of the United States, residing at South eymouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Tongue and Lace Protectors for Shoes; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel imprm'enlent in laced shoes, and its object is to provide a novel combined tongue and lace protector and concealer for laced shoes, which will increase the comfort of the wearer, and enhance the appearance of the shoe.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention as applied to laced low shoes; but the invention is applicable to other styles of laced shoes.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laced shoe embodying the invention and showing the shoe as it appears when the protector is in position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the shoe showing the tongue and protector partially thrown back.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the tongue and protector entirely thrown back.

Fig. i is a detail view, looking from the inner ornnder side of the vamp, showing how the tongue and protector is attached thereto.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slight modification.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the tongue and protector shown in Figs. 6 and 7 detached.

Fig. 9 is a modification showing how the ornament may be detachably attached to the tongue and protector.

Fig. 10 shows how an ordinary tongue may be attached if desired.

The peculiar form or construction of the laced shoe is not an essential feature of the invention and it may be high or low. A low shoe or pump is shown in the drawings, said shoe having a front slit 1 in its upper,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 191?.

Serial No. 156,887.

which slit may be closed, more or less, by means of a lacing 2 engaging eyelets 3 in the upper as usual. Attached to the upper, and preferably adjacent the end of the slit 1, is a combined tongue and protector l. This tongue may be secured to the upper in any desired manner. As shown in Figs. 1 to 5 its inner end is secured by means of a glove-fastener member 5 which has a head 5 on its outer end, which head projects above the upper.

The inner end of the fastener-member 5 may be covered by the lining L of the shoe, which lining may be slit, as at S, for the pas-- sage of the tongue and protector 4L.

The tongue and protector is longer than the slit 1, and to its outer end is attached a complementary member 5 of the glove fastener member, which member 5 is adapted to engage the member 5*" as shown in Fig. 5.

The tongue and protector may be provided with a bow 6, or other ornamental or neat finishing device, on its outer end; which can be conveniently secured thereto by the glove fastener member 5 as shown.

The combined tongue and protector shown in Figs. 15 is of such length that it may be turned up, or back, to the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the lacing may be adjusted to bind the shoe with the desired tightness on the foot. Then the tongue and protector is first folded upon itself so as to bring the bow over the tongue, as indicated in Fig. 2; then the bow and tongue are again folded over to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the member 5 of the fastening can be engaged with the member 5, as in Fig. 5; thus fastening the tongue and protector and bow securely in position, and covering the slit and lacing and impartinga neat attractive appearance to the shoe as in Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8 the tongue and protector 4 has on its inner end a glove fastener member 5" which is adapted to be detachably engaged with and extended through an opening 1 in the upper adjacent the end of the laced opening, and the upper end of the tongue is provided with a complementary fastening member 5 which, when the tongue and protector is folded over the slit and lacing, as shown in Fig. 7, is engaged with the member 5", and thus secures the tongue and protector detachably in place.

The outer end of the tongue and protector may be provided with an ornament 6", a

heart shaped ornament being shown in Figs. 6 and S.

In some cases the ornament may be made integral with or permanently fastened to the tongue if desired; or it may be made detachable and secured thereto by any suitable fastening means, for example as indicated in Fig. 9 the ornament 6 is detachably attached to the outer side of the tongue and protector by means of a glove-buttoning fastening member (5 engaging a complementary fastening member 6 attached to the tongue. Detachable interchangeable ornaments of various kinds could be used if desired.

The detachable tongues can be readily removed and replaced, as desired, and the shoe wearer might have various tongues and protectors and ornan'ients to be used interchange-ably with the shoes; and if no ornament is desired a plain tongue 7 could be attached, as indicated in Fig. 10, and the fastening member 5 be covered exteriorly by a detachable complementary button member 7 engaged therewith in the usual manner.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the tongue and protector may be provided with different ornaments and may be permanently or detach-ably attached to the shoe, and when permanently attached the tongue may be provided with detachable changeable ornaments if desired.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a shoe having a laced opening, a tongue and protector hav ing its inner end connected to the shoe adjacent the end of said opening, a bow mem ber attached to the outer end of the tongue, the outer part of the tongue being adapted to be folded upon itself so as to first form the central part of the bow, and to be again folded upon itself to cover the laced opening, and means for fastening the folded tongue to secure it and the bow in position, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a shoe having a laced opening, a fastening member connecting the inner end of the tongue to the shoe adjacent the end of said opening, a bow member attached to the outer end of the tongue, and a second fastening member atfolded upon itself so as to form part of thebow, and to be again folded upon itself to cover the laced opening, said fastening member being then in position to be engaged with the first fastening member to secure the tongue in position, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a laced shoe; a combined tongue and lace protector having one end attached to and within the shoe upper adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening, said tongue being adapted to extend under the lacing as a tongue and then be folded upon itself to externally cover the lacing, and means for fastening the outer end of the tongue and protector, when so folded, to the upper adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening.

t. F or a laced shoe; a combined tongue and lace protector having one end detachably fastened to and within the upper at a point adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening, said tongue being adapted to extend under the opening and lacing as a tongue and then be folded over upon itself exterior to and over the lacing to cover the same, and means attached to the outer end of the tongue and protector adapted to engage a correlated fastening on the upper adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening when the tongue and protector is folded over the lacing.

5. In combination with a laced shoe; a combined tongue and lace protector having one end attached to and within the shoe upper adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening, said tongue being adapted to extend under the lacing as a tongue and then be folded upon itself to externally cover the lacing, and means for fastening the outer end of the tongue and protector, when so folded, to the upper adjacent the lower end of the lacing opening; with an ornament attached to the outer part of the tongue and protector and positioned when the latter is secured, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature.

JOAQUIN ALFRED eoims.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

